UDAY scheme not people friendly | TN Power Minister

Tamil Nadu has not signed the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme as it is not people-friendly, State Power Minister Natham R Viswanathan said. Only private power producers and banks that gave them loans would benefit, he said in a statement. Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal had said he could make a significant impact (on power reforms) only if there was a government change in Tamil Nadu as it was a 'state within a state' with Chief Minister Jayalalaithaa 'inaccessible'. Pointing out a clause in the scheme mandating tariff restructuring every three months, Viswanathan wondered how a scheme that hiked power tariff every three months could be called people-friendly. The scheme was to cheat people in the name of power reforms, he alleged. The opposition should clarify their stand, he said.